Let’s Talk about Valve’s New Game Artifact

Valve has not released a new game since ‘Dota2’ in 2013. Fans of this game have waited in eager anticipation to see what Valve will release next. The long wait is finally over as they have now announced that they have a new game in the pipeline that is almost ready for them to release and they have now released the trailer. However, it might not be exactly what people were expecting. Although all the details are not yet known, here is what we know about Valve’s new game so far.

What is the New Game?

The game is called ‘Artifact’ and it is a Dota-themed card game. Valve’s aim was to recreate Dota 2 but in the format of a 1v1 card game. Sean ‘Day 9’ Plott, the host of International 2017, spoke about the new game and described it by saying it contains all the elements of Dota 2 but just in a different format. Some people have already compared this new game to ‘Hearthstone’. Although there are both similarities and differences between the two, when ‘Artifcat’ is released, it is likely that these comparisons will continue.

How Does It Play?

One of the comments made by those who have seen the preview of the game is that it is similar to other trading card games. The creatures and spells that you cast onto the board are very similar to other games that are already out there. However, there are also many ways that Artifact is different.Based on the heroes from Dota, there are five heroes in Artifact. There are also three different boards on which you can deploy them. These are based on the lanes of a map and the heroes can move from one lane to another. Each of the heroes has different abilities. Again, the abilities are similar to those in Dota 2.Just like in Dota, when each turn is taken, spawn enters the map and begins to fill each lane. Players earn gold by killing enemies and they can use their gold to buy item cards. Players can use these cards to equip their heroes. Cards may also impact on the lanes.There are still more specifics about this name that need clarifying, but this information covers the basic point of the game.

Release Date and Availability

All we know so far is that the release is planned for at some point during 2018 with no specific date being announced as yet. It has also not been confirmed what platforms this game will be available for. However, it is almost certain that it will be available for PC. It is also fairly safe to assume that the game will be available on mobile devices but their availability on consoles is less certain. Valve has not revealed whether this game will be free for players, but the early indications suggest that this will be the case.

The Team

Steve Jaros is the developer of this game while designer Brad Muir has also been working on the game for quite some time. Muir left Double Fine in 2015 to join the team at Valve.

About The Author

Nat B

Nat is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Uncoached Corporation and all its properties. His primary roles are managing editorial, business development, content development, online acquisitions, and operations.
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